Family festival fun at Underneath the Stars

Gemma Jimmison

Young and old alike can enjoy world-class folk and roots music alongside a great line up of theatre and crafts at this weekend’s Underneath the Stars Festival.

The family friendly event, at Cannon Hall Farm in Cawthorne, is back for its fourth year from Friday, July 21 to Sunday, July 23.

International folk singer-songwriter Kate Rusby will be appearing at the event on Friday and Sunday, alongside Newton Faulkner, Show of Hands and Lucy Rose.

Some of the theatrical highlights for families will be Yorkshire’s own Unlimited Theatre with its new show How I Hacked My Way Into Space, Pif Paf’s SEED show and Random Acts of Kindness by Them Two Dance.

The Kitsch and Sync Collective will also be performing its Ecstatic Cinematic show, a theatrical comedy ‘drive-in movie’ experience.

There will also be a fabulous range of food, drink and craft traders.

Joe Rusby, artistic director, said: “We’re delighted to be presenting this great selection of high quality street theatre to enliven our site and complete our family programme alongside our other activities such as music and dance workshops, traditional crafts and storytelling.”

The festival was established in 2014 by Kate Rusby - one of only a handful of folk singers to be nominated for a Mercury Prize - and her family-run record company Pure Records.

She said: “It’s just so lovely to be bringing the music and musicians we love to our beautiful corner of the world, and it seems to come around so quick, it’s amazing. I can’t wait to see the brightly coloured big-tops going up in the fields and the whole site being made to look magical, it always signals a special summertime treat is about to begin.”

Day tickets are available for £50 for adults while weekend camping tickets cost £135. Concessions are available and under sevens go free.

Visit www.underthestarsfest.co.uk for more information or to book.

The full family theatre entertainment line-up can be found at underthestarsfest.co.uk/family